Sunday, May 31, 2015

Presented by
Purplestage in association with Gasworks Arts Park and Flaxworks Theatre

Q Theatre,
Queanbeyan, 30 May 2015

Review by Len Power

Now almost forgotten, Veronica Lake was a 1940s movie star
recognizable for her long blonde hair covering her right eye, giving her a
sexy, sultry look.She worked with Alan
Ladd a few times and did good work in ‘Sullivan’s Travels’ and ‘I Married A
Witch’.By 1950 she was past her peak and
it was all downhill from there.

Veronica Lake in the 1940s

‘Drowning In Veronica Lake’ takes us behind the glamorous
image into the reality of being a sex symbol in Hollywood and what happens when
your celebrity is finished.We’ve seen
this kind of thing before but this one stands out as a great theatre as well as
an interesting story.

Actress, Alex Ellis, is onstage already when the audience
enters the theatre.She’s dressed in a
long gown that spreads out in an extraordinary wide circle around her on the
stage.We quickly realize she can hardly
move.She’s trapped in the gown and in
her Hollywood image forever.It’s a
clever concept and captures our interest immediately.

Alex Ellis as Veronica Lake

Phil Ormsby’s strong script moves us quickly through her
Hollywood career and life beyond, giving us a detailed picture of this complex
and troubled woman.Her grasping and
unfeeling mother, also played by Alex Ellis, was a monster who just added to
Veronica Lake’s troubles.Then there are
the failed marriages, the alcoholism, the money that suddenly wasn’t there and
the vanishing career.

Alex Ellis as Veronica Lake gives an intense one woman
performance that is funny, chilling, moving and ultimately memorable.Switching suddenly from Veronica Lake to her
mother and back again, Ellis never misses a beat in her strong
characterizations and makes us sympathise with Veronica Lake and her problems.

There was a particularly good soundscape accompanying the
play with snatches of appropriate songs and music that created an excellent
atmosphere.Sound engineer Rohan Evans
is credited in the program.Lighting
design by Nik Janiurek was very well done.The period dress design by Sara Taylor and Elizabeth Whiting made the
dress almost a character in itself.

Director, Simon Coleman was produced a very strong, thought-provoking
show.His clever theatricality makes it much
more interesting than the usual Hollywood horror story.

Veronica Lake in 1971, aged 48, two years before her death

It was shocking to hear that Veronica Lake died at just 50.At the end of the play she talks to us from
beyond the grave, desperately reaching out to us to keep her image alive.As we leave the auditorium, the actress stays
onstage in the same position as when we entered.Did we just dream it all?

Originally broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Dress Circle’ showbiz program
with Bill Stephens on Sunday 31 May 2015 from 5pm.

With a
running time of just 50 minutes, “All This Living” is a dense, abstract play which demands
intense concentration without rewarding it.

Whatever the
merits of the writing, or insights contained therein, they are so obscured by
the distracting symbol-laden direction, that little room is left to engage or
empathise with the character.

Entering the
theatre the audience discovers Blunden lying on the floor among a collection of
cloth covered mounds. She’s clad neck to toe in a furry grey wolf-like onesie
which certainly spikes curiosity. The
elderly being treated as road-kill perhaps?When she does sit up her hairstyle resembles that of a Greek goddess.

One by one she
removes the cloths from the mounds to reveal steel cooking pots containing various
props including a necklace made of kitchen utensils and plastic clothes pegs
which she clips to herself. Symbolism overload.

The reason
for the onesie is never explained, but the dialogue, much of which is delivered
in an arch, wide-eyed style, does contain references to Greek gods, witches, wolves,
fairy tales and legends. Also scattered throughout are references to difficulties
associated with ageing, like being ignored in shops, and maintaining a
satisfactory sex life, but no new revelations or insights.

Blunden is a
very good actor, and her vocal delivery is exemplary. Every word of her
dialogue is crystal clear, but they are not well served by a production which
confuses rather than clarifies their meaning and intent.

This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 21st May 2015 and in the print edition of CITY NEWS on 27th May 2015.

It was a
pity that more Canberra dance students did’nt take advantage of the opportunity
to hear The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director, David McAllister, and his
conversation with principal dancer Lana Jones prior to Saturday night
performance of “Giselle”. It was one of the special events organised by Australian
Ballet to co-incide with the “Giselle” performances in Canberra.

Those who
did were treated to a fascinating insight into what it takes to become a
world-class ballerina.McAllister’s
questions were insightful. Jones’s answers were disarmingly frank and
enlightening. With her mother and father present in the audience, Jones talked
about her early training in Canberra, her Australian Ballet School experience,
her favourite ballet roles and reflected on some of the world-renowned
choreographers with whom she had worked. She even admitted to pangs of jealousy
when her husband, principal dancer, Daniel Gaudiello, was being a little too
convincing in love scenes with other ballerinas.But perhaps her most telling comment was her
response to a question from McAllister about her future ambitions as a dancer.
After a long pause Jones revealed that although she was confident in her
technique, she was now concentrating on “perfecting the art”.

﻿

Madeliene Eastoe

The truth of
that statement sprang to mind while watching Madeleine Eastoe dance her
penultimate Giselle later that evening, prior to her pending retirement from
dancing. Eastoe’s performance was pure art, and as close to human perfection as
one could hope to achieve, especially in the second act where everything seemed
to combine to produce a performance that could only be described as sublime.

In this act
Eastoe was truly transformed into a weightless, ethereal vision. Completely
given over to the role, oblivious of everything except her Albrecht and how she
could protect him. As Albrecht, Kevin
Jackson, matched Eastoe’s mood to perfection, partnering with strength and grace
while dancing and acting as if nothing else mattered.Their first lift, when he holds her high
above his head, seemed so effortless that it drew spontaneous applause from the
spellbound audience.

Madeliene Eastoe - Kevin Jackson

The Wilis
too, commanded by Valerie Tereshchenko’s imperious Myrtha, rose to the
occasion, each move and pose perfectly executed, perfectly in tune with the
mood of the ballet and executed with
breathtaking precision. Together with Peter Farmer’s atmospheric setting, and
William Akers’ magical lighting, the effect created was of watching some gorgeous
antique lithograph which had somehow come to life.

Madeliene Eastoe - Kevin Jackson - Artists of the Australian Ballet

The Canberra
Symphony Orchestra also caught the mood, responding to conductor, Nicolette
Fraillon’s expressive baton with a superb interpretation of Adam’s romantic
score.

Eastoe’s
Giselle is the result of a whole career devoted to perfecting every move and
nuance of the role, as she demonstrated in Act One, where her mad scene was at
times, moving, distressing and terrifying. It seems a tragic fact that, having
reached such perfection, the tyranny of age prevents dancers of this calibre
from continuing to share their art with audiences.

It was a
privilege to have experienced this wonderful performance by Eastoe, so
beautifully supported by those artists of the Australian Ballet who shared it
with her. Despite having seen many “Giselle’s” over the years, this particular
performance will definitely remain a most treasured memory of balletic
perfection.

Madeleine Eastoe and Artists of the Australian Ballet

Personal
Post Script: While waiting for the performance to begin, a woman wearing a
wreath of white flowers in her long, dark hair caught my eye.As she removed her overcoat and took her seat in the front row, I could see
she was wearing a tunic and white long sleeved blouse. She was dressed as
Giselle.

After the
performance, filing out of the theatre, I found myself opposite her and took
the opportunity to compliment her for going to so much trouble with her
dressing. She responded by telling me that, she was now 46, and this was only the second time she had
witnessed a live ballet performance, although she had seen many ballets on
film. She added that she was going
blind, which was why she had bought a ticket in the front row, and had decided
to dress up to make it a really memorable occasion. She confided that she was so moved by the
performance that she was going home to cry some more, before disappearing into the cold Canberra winter night.

It is night
and under the moon a troupe of betrayed brides are lumbering from their
graves, clambering through the mist in shrouds of tulle. These are the Wili, girls betrayed by their
lovers on the eve of their wedding. They
now share both their pain and the passion they were never allowed to express in
life by waylaying unlucky travelers in a literal dance of death: men who meet
them will dance in ecstasy until their hearts stop.

But that is
in the second act, defined by the night and romantic horrors. The first act is about the day, an idyll that
celebrates life, the sun and harmony.
Here the maiden Giselle (Ako Kondo) - naive, but with an captivating
delight in life - falls in love with her near-twin, the courtly Albrecht
(Chengwu Guo). Giselle is a deer, and
Albrecht is the wise hunter who approaches it slowly. With each gentle footfall closer,
he closes the distance between their hearts.

Unfortunately,
Albrecht turns out to be Count Albrecht.
That wouldn't be a problem in itself, but Albrecht is also concealing a
Countess-to-be, his finance Bathilde (Valerie Tereschenko).

Albrecht
can be played many different ways, and we feel that Guo's Albrecht genuinely
loves Giselle. Bathilde has a lot of
class, but is hard not to be entranced by Giselle's mesmerising lightness. But Albrecht and Giselle's courtship also
feels too naive, like this might just be puppy love. True relationships are rarely as graceful as
these lovers in dance. By contrast, the
forester Hilarion (Brett Simon) is passionately in love with Giselle, but his
abruptness frightens her. True, Hilarion
is prone to occasionally pulling a knife when threatened, but overall he is
sympathetic, especially when Albrecht is getting away with behaviour that could
at minimum be called sketchy.

Inevitably,
this leads to tragedy. Hilarion pulls
the rug out under his rival by revealing Albrecht's true identity and
philandering. Rather than this leading to
Giselle's rejection of Albrecht, Giselle retreats into madness, dancing with an
imaginary lover now that her real one has betrayed her. This is followed almost instantly by her
sudden death, with both Hilarion and Albrecht devastated that they have killed
the person they loved.

But this is
not the end of the story, because Giselle is reborn as one of the Wili (despite
the strict requirements for membership apparently the Wili have no shortage of
suitable candidates). The death of
Giselle is the loss of the sun, and both Hilarion and Albrecht wander into the
forest where they fall into the clutches of the Wili, led by
their stern Queen Myrtha (Robyn Hendricks - phenomenal in the role, bringing
more than a hint of the fierce dance teacher to the part). Now that the day is past and the community of the village is dispersed, the two men must endure the night alone with their grief.

What
follows is extraordinary. Hilarion is
dispatched relatively quickly, possibly because his rough and passionate nature
means he has no defense against the mad desire and vengeance of the Wili. But when it is Albrecht's time to settle his
debt and give Giselle the wedding dance he promised, Giselle's spirit
intercedes. She fights the Wili and
sustains Albrecht through a brutal (and visually amazing) dance that leaves
both the character and the dancer drained.
At dawn (the point where the power of the Wili ceases) we see Albrecht
collapsed and gasping for air - but alive - and in a final catharsis we feel as
though he has paid penance for his part in Giselle's death.

The dancing
is nothing short of spectacular (and very difficult) with many breaktaking
performances. But more than that, the
dancing has personality that tells the story.
Albrecht and Giselle are at first too precious to be a couple. But when separated by death they come to
life, becoming more vibrant in their movements and finding a deeper harmony in
their differences. The dead are cleverly
and subtly stiffened, their arms now slightly limp in a way that gives a creepy
suggestion that they really are corpses come to life. Giselle's post-mortem dances are like a kind of life in death, like an eerie phosphorescence on a corpse.

The
production is a triumph for producer and creator Maina Gielgud, combining
mastery of the elements of ballet with a vivid eye for what makes a good
show. I was also struck by how accessible this production of Giselle is. Rather than a ballet in a
language that only experts can decipher, the feeling and meaning in each scene
is readily comprehensible in the movements of the dancers (with only the
occasional touch of very light miming necessary to move things along). The Australian Ballet deserves kudos for
bringing this amazing production out to Australia. An enriching and rewarding ballet that for
many watching (including this reviewer) will be remembered as the definitive
production of Giselle.

The
Australian Ballet had only been established 3 years when it was chosen to open
the Canberra Theatre in 1965. Fifty years on, it has made a welcome return to
the Canberra Theatre with Maina Gielgud’s much admired production of the ballet
classic “ Giselle” to participate in the Canberra Theatre Centre’s50th Anniversary Celebrations.

The Australian Ballet's "Giselle"

With Peter
Farmer’s lovely autumnal sets and costumes refurbished, and with a new
generation of dancers coached in the roles by Gielgud herself, this production
reclaims its place as one of the jewels in the Australian Ballet’s repertoire.

The role of
“Giselle” is the Everest all ballerinas aspire to conquer at some stage in
their career. Although it demands exceptional technique, purity of line and
physical strength, the role of the young peasant girl who falls in love with a
nobleman, then loses her mind and dies when she discovers that he is already
engaged, offers limitless possibilities for individual interpretation, and like
“Hamlet” for an actor, can be career defining for a dancer.

Five
ballerinas will dance the role during The Australian Ballet’s season in
Canberra, including Madeleine Eastoe, who will give her Canberra farewell
performance before retiring from dancing. The honour of the opening night
performance was given to former Canberra dancer, Lana Jones.

Lana Jones

One of the
company’s most experienced ballerinas, Jones is especially admired for her
steely, athletic technique and bravura style. Her Giselle is therefore
something of a revelation. Initially happy and uninhibited when dancing with
her friends; sweet and tentative when shyly responding to the advances of the
handsome young nobleman, Albrecht; reckless and frightening as she slips into
madness, her portrayal is affectingly realised.

But it is
the second act, when she returns as a ghostly wili, commanded by the Queen of
the Wilis, to entice the grieving Albrecht to dance until he dies, that Jones’ performance
becomes truly magical. Superbly partnered by Adam Bull, she appeared totally
ethereal and weightless, barely touching the stage, as she gently danced with
Albrecht, coaxing him to dance with her until dawn when the wilis would lose
their power to destroy him.

Lana Jones and Adam Bull

Tall and handsome,
Adam Bull was perfectly teamed with Jones, and his thoughtful, multi-faceted
portrayal of Albrecht was convincing and beautifully danced.

Despite her diminutive
stature, Ako Kondo was an impressive Queen of the Wilis, dancing brilliantly
and imperiously commanding the stage, and a similarly strong performance from
Andrew Killian, as the jealous forester, Hilarion, surprised with his ability
to garner sympathy for his character.

Ako Kondo as Queen of the Willis

Photo: Jeff Busby

Particularly
satisfying at this performance was the accuracy and attention to detail evident
in the ensemble dances. The characterisations among the first act peasant
ensemble were enthusiastic, intelligent and supportive adding strength and
believability to the story, especially during the “mad” scene.In the beautiful second act, the dancing of
the wilis was breathtakingly precise and serene, adding immeasurably to the
success of a superb performance which drew an ecstatic response from the packed
auditorium.

This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 22 May 2015

Actress, Camilla Blunden, states in the program for her
show, ‘All This Living’, that she ‘wanted to put the older woman centre stage,
bring her out of the shadows’.This
charismatic actress performs the work very well but the work itself is unsatisfying.

In the show, Joy is an ageing woman who feels invisible in
society and sets out to investigate what this ‘third stage’ of life is.She starts with a description of the negative
way she feels she is treated as an older woman and moves on to considering how
she can retain her identity with dignity and confidence as a unique person, not
just an invisible old lady.

It’s nicely written in a poetic style but it demands intense
concentration by the audience.It plays
as a distillation of ideas, memories, experiences and intelligent musings and
on that level is quite interesting.Where it doesn’t work so well is in the content.We learn what’s in the woman’s mind but we
want more detail of her personal experiences to be able to care about her.As it plays at the moment, it’s a bit
uninvolving.Also, a play asking us to
examine and think about an issue like this needs a few revelations.We didn’t hear anything about women’s
experiences here that we didn’t know already.

The direction of the show by Rochelle Whyte was imaginative
and it was played at a nice pace.The
atmospheric sound design by Kimmo Vernonnen mostly worked well but there seemed
to be some miscues with voice-overs on opening night and the slight background
babble of voices during the show was distracting.More restrained use of this would make the
point just as well.Imogen Keen’s design
for the show was deceptively simple with a clever use of props.However, some of the reasons for their use
were a bit obscure as was the costume worn for most of the play by the
actress.Lighting by Gillian Schwab was
excellent.

There’s a really good idea for a play here and it has an
actress who can command the stage on her own.As it plays at the moment, it’s a short 45 minute piece.Expanded into a more involving human
experience, it could be a real winner.

Originally broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Dress Circle’ showbiz program
with Bill Stephens on Sunday 24 May 2015 from 5pm.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

‘Oh, what a tangled web we weave…’ says the police inspector
towards the end of Agatha Christie’s ‘Spider Web’.The Queen of Crime plays wonderful puzzle
games with the audience in this complex and, surprisingly funny, thriller.The Tempo Theatre cast and director, Jon
Elphick, have obviously had a lot of fun staging this and the large opening
night audience showed how much they enjoyed it with laughter throughout and
strong applause at the end.

An original play, it was written in 1953 at a peak in Agatha
Christie’s play-writing period.Both
‘The Mousetrap’ and ‘Witness For The Prosecution’ were still running when this
one opened in 1954 and ran for 774 performances.The plot might seem dated, the characters
quaint and the police procedures definitely lacking but it doesn’t matter.You’re carried along like you’re on a
fairground ride and you’ll enjoy it.

Amongst the large cast are several standout
performances.In the leading role, Sarah
Bourke shines as the woman trying desperately to cover up what seems to be an
accidental killing.Tony Cheshire
underplays nicely as the sinister butler, Elgin, and Marian Fitzgerald is very
funny as the meddlesome gardener, Mildred Peake.Kim Wilson gives a believable country
gentleman performance as Sir Rowland and Shane Horsburgh as the police
inspector displays a fatherly warmth with a hint of steel under the surface.

The set, designed by the director, is simple but attractive
and is well lit by Chris Donohue.Costumes are fine, with a particularly nice one worn by the leading
lady.

This company revels in doing these older plays and their
enjoyment shows in the playing.The play
gives plenty of opportunity for comedy and the laughs are all there.There were times when the pace flagged a bit
and some of the acting was a bit uneven but it was never less than enjoyable.

Now how did THAT get there....?

Director, Jon Elphick, has produced an entertaining version
of this Agatha Christie play.His Tempo
Theatre company have developed a unique niche in the market for these vintage
plays which no-one else is doing in Canberra.I made the usual fool of myself telling friends at interval who I
thought the murderer was – and I got it wrong.Go along and see if you can work it out.I bet you can’t!

Photographs: Melita Caulfield

Originally broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Dress Circle’ showbiz program
with Bill Stephens on Sunday 17 May 2015 from 5pm.

About Me

The 26 year-old Canberra Critics’ Circle is the only such group of critics in Australia that runs across all the major art forms, not just performing arts.
The circle changes each year depending on who is writing or broadcasting on the arts in Canberra.
Our aim is to provide a focal point for Canberra reviewers in print and electronic media through discussions and forums. As well, we make awards to ACT region artists (defined as within 100km radius of Canberra) in the latter part of each year.
The CCC has always resisted making awards in “best-of” categories. Arts practice is not a competitive race and Canberra is a small pool where it would be ridiculous to pre-impose categories, apart from major art form genres. The idea is that we, the critics, single out qualities we have noticed -- things which have struck us as important. These could be expressed as abstracts, like impact, originality, creativity, craftsmanship and excellence.
Our year is from September 30 2016 to September 30 2017.
Convener of the Circle is Helen Musa.